Office Dog and Flying Nun Records are pleased to share the indie rock band’s brand new single ‘Front Row Seat’.
‘Front Row Seat’ finds Office Dog confronting the numbing weight of the 24-hour news cycle, a state of quiet paralysis where the sheer volume of bad news makes even the smallest decisions feel impossible. The song explores the feeling of being stuck “in the front row” as the world unravels — absorbing everything while feeling increasingly powerless to act. ‘Front Row Seat’ finds the band leaning into that uneasy tension, turning overwhelm and uncertainty into something quietly cathartic.
The music video, directed by Sophie Black and made with the support of NZ on Air Music, applies these feelings of someone’s world boiling over to corporate team bonding activities. About the video concept, Office Dog’s front-person Kane Strang says “I could instantly picture it in my head, which is always a good sign .”
Praise for Office Dog
“The tight interplay of an old-fashioned indie rock power trio.” – Pitchfork on Spiel
Spiel #42 “The 80 Best New Zealand Albums of the 2020s So Far” – Rolling Stone
“An album from someone who’s refined their craft over ten years… fuzzy and warm… pushing into new territory.” – RNZ on Spiel
“Heavy, light, dense and buoyant, Doggerland is an heir to Sonic Youth at their melodic, creative best.” – MOJO on Doggerland
While maintaining a busy solo career and releasing acclaimed music via Flying Nun Records and Dead Oceans, Kane Strang formed Office Dog in late 2021.
After temporarily relocating from his hometown of Dunedin—the same city that produced bands like The Chills, The Clean, and The Verlaines—to Auckland, he set out to pursue a more collaborative project with drummer Mitchell Innes and bassist Rassani Tolovaa.
Over the following year, musical ideas gradually came together and evolved into full songs, ultimately leading to the band’s debut album, Spiel (2023). They quickly found an audience on streaming platforms — most notably with their Spiel single ‘Big Air‘, which surpassed 700,000 streams. The track’s momentum helped land the band on the covers of several prominent playlists on Spotify and TIDAL.
They have since released their Doggerland EP (2024), and are well and truly back with this first new single of 2026.
Strang says “We really can’t wait to cross the globe and play our first shows in that part of the world. It’s a great mix of festivals and headline gigs, luckily ending in Germany where Rass and I lived a lifetime ago, too. Thanks to Sam Russel and ROAM for making it all happen.”
Never ones to neglect their homeland, Kane Strang is taking Office Dog on the road in Aotearoa on a mini solo tour this month:
18/03 – Ōtautahi, Space Academy w/ Goodwill
21/03 – Pōneke, Flying Nun Record Store (free show)
10/04 – Ōtepoti, Pearl Diver w/ Phaedra Love
Tickets onsale from officedogband.com
It’s turning out to be an exciting year for the Aotearoa trio, stay tuned for more updates.
Office Dog
‘Front Row Seat’ – single
